Fernandes’ high ambition began at Tupperware parties

In an industry famous for big personalities (think Richard Branson) and even bigger egos, Tony Fernandes stands out as the rock star of Asia Pacific aviation. It was in 2001 that he famously bought AirAsia for 25¢ as it buckled under the weight of $US11 million worth of debt.

In the decade since, he has become the go-to man for struggling legacy carriers and entrepreneurs looking for financial backing across the region.

Fernandes has invested in industries ranging from telecommunications to insurance and budget hotels – and most recently his own Formula 1 team. He has accrued personal wealth close to $500 million, according to Forbes. But ask him where his true passions lie and the former record industry executive says it’s planes all the way.

“For me, I could put money in the bank, lose it in the stockmarket, or I can go build some stuff. These are investments and of course I enjoy everything I do. But my 9-5 is AirAsia," Fernandes says.

The AirAsia brand has grown to add franchised airlines in Thailand and Indonesia, with the Philippines and Japan its next destinations.

Fernandes credits the success of Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the billionaire founder of British low-cost giant Easyjet, for his decision to bite the bullet and buy AirAsia. But it was his mother’s frequent journeys around home and abroad selling Tupperware to trade buyers – trips on which the young Fernandes would play piano to entertain clients – that sparked his love for air travel.

An unloved stint at an English boarding school with few trips home cemented it for Fernandes – airline tickets had to be cheaper. “It was always in my mind. I thought: ‘one day I want to make it cheaper to fly’."

In the decade since Fernandes’s big leap, AirAsia has gone from two planes to about 100 and from 200,000 passengers in its first year to more than 14 million in 2010. In the process, AirAsia has been voted the world’s best low-cost airline while personal accolades – including Businessman of the Year in Asia – have rolled in for its boss.